The Boys are back in town. The 3 kings left for Phnom Penh on Wednesday and had 5 days and 4 nights in Cambodia's capitol city. However, we quickly got used to our new names, Darling, Honey, and Baby. Phnom Penh is indeed like Bangkok was in the late 90's .. lots of fun.
There are some differences, such as no GoGos, and no nudity. However the beer bars are more fun than Bangkok's as the girls speak better English and are more friendly and not as jaundiced as Thai bar girls.
Prices are also 50% of what they are in the Big Mango. However, 3 days and 2 nights would be sufficient to explore Phnom Penh. Another bonus of Phnom Penh are the outdoor cafes that dot the Mekong River walkway. I suppose that is due to the French colonial influence.
Another major difference is the wonderful mix of western and Cambodia restaurants that feature superb meals at 50% of the price of Bangkok. Larry's is highly recommended for superb western food and great prices, served up by very pretty and friendly waitresses. Darling could not eat all his Italian sausage pizza and offered it up to the serving staff, expecting to be politely refused but they dived right in and finished it off. Try that back in North America!
There also appears to be an excellent community of expats, most of whom hale from Australia. They were very friendly and willing to share information on the best bars and restaurants.
Baby had some great suggestions especially when it came to a rooftop bar that overlooked the Mekong River. The weather was nicer, less humid, and lower temperatures. We also never saw a mosquito, fly, rat, or cockroach the entire trip. The streets are clean of rubbish and there are few street vendors.
The Phnom Penh airport is modern and efficient which makes coming and going easy, unlike the overcrowded Thai airport. However, the Chinese have discovered Phnom Penh and I suspect it will change fairly rapidly so I suggest you visit sooner than later.
Honey likes to chat with the ladies and they were quick to point out that the Japanese and Koreans pay twice as much for the same services as farangs. The ladies work for teh same reason as Thai girls .. to raise money for their families. They seem to have fewer children but often have them at 17 or 18 years of age and like their Thai bros, the Cambodian males desert them as soon as the baby is born.
One major difference is that Tuk Tuks are more common than taxis and are cheaper than taxis. The Tuk Tuk drivers are also fun to chat with and don't run any scams that we detected.
Bars are open very late, until 4ish and many bars are open 24 hours. Draft beer in a big frosted mug is $.50 during the long happy hour. Bar fines are $10, short time is $50 and long time is $100.
However, now that Darling, Honey, and Baby are back in Thailand, it feels good to be home. It is good to get away, especially in the company of friends, but it is also good to get back home.
Some pics from our early morning walks:
Great bar across from our hotel
Here be dragons
Honey's favorite bar
Baby's scam bar .. not recommended!
Waitress could not hold the phone steady
Baby, Darling, and Honey
Political rally ..
Lady drinks on the rooftop ..
Overlooking the Mekong
Relaxing in an outdoor cafe
Early in the morning .. out for a walk
TTYL
No comments:
Post a Comment